Cucumber Dill Canapé Recipe

This Cucumber Dill Canapé recipe is tried and true, as I've made it at least 100 times! Light, fresh and incredibly flavorful, this bite was the most popular hors d'oeuvre on my catering menu.

I made these adorable and delicious cucumber canapés for the very first party I ever catered, and when I had my catering business, they were on almost every menu of every party I catered thereafter.

They're always a crowd pleaser! They're light, refreshing, pretty, and packed with flavor -- and all in one bite!

If you follow my step-by-step instructions, this Cucumber Dill Canapé recipe is easy to make. You can easily break down the steps so party day is relaxing! This way it's fun and easy -- and so worth the effort!

Everyone loves them! Really, everyone!

What exactly is a canapé?

• A canapé is described as a small piece of bread or pastry with a savory topping.
• There are usually three components: the base (bread), and spread (for flavor and to protect the base), and a main ingredient on top.
• They are typically bite-sized, and are commonly served with drinks at a cocktail party or formal party.

The Key Ingredients

• cucumbers - Ideally you should use Hot House (sometimes called English or Japanese) cucumbers since they have fewer seeds. Just be sure they are wide enough in diameter. (See instructions below.)
• fresh dill - Look for dark green perky bunches of dill. Keep in mind, you will want tiny sprigs for the garnish. Some dill leaves are larger than others, and for the spread, any size is great.
• cream cheese - For this recipe, use cream cheese blocks, not whipped and in a tub. The consistency of the dill spread is much better this way.
• unsalted butter - There's not too much butter in the dill spread, just enough to give it its silky texture.
• lemon juice - Fresh lemons are always best, and if you have a Meyer lemon, even better! They are a touch less tart and a touch sweeter. And with a thinner skin and fewer seeds, they are incredibly juicy.
• Dijon Mustard - This adds a delicious depth to the flavor of the spread. I don't recommend using yellow mustard, as the overall flavor won't be as good.
• Cayenne pepper - The cayenne in this recipe doesn't make it spicy, rather it adds the perfect tiny kick to it.
• sliced sandwich bread - I use a very simple white sandwich bread for these cucumber canapés. It's really a vehicle to hold all of the other ingredients. I do not recommend using anything thicker than sliced sandwich bread.

How to Make Cucumber Dill Canapés

- Slice each cucumber into approximately 18 slices -- about ¼ to ½ inches wide -- and place them flat on a cutting surface. Use a 1¾ inch round cutter to cut the skin off each cucumber slice.

- Then use a 1 inch round cutter to cut a hole in the middle of each slice to remove the seeds and create a space for the dill mixture later.

- Wrap the prepared cucumbers in plastic wrap and refrigerate them until you are ready to assemble the canapés. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Remove 4 sprigs of dill and set them aside in the refrigerator for the garnish.

- To make the dill spread, use a food processor to blend the cheese with the butter, mustard, lemon juice, and the remaining dill. Blend until the dill is very finely chopped and the mixture is very smooth. Season generously to taste with salt and cayenne pepper. Blend the mixture one last time to be sure all of the ingredients are incorporated.

- Use a small, off-set spatula to spread a thin, even layer of the dill spread onto one surface of each slice of bread. Place the remaining dill spread in a zip-lock bag and cut a tiny bit off of one of its bottom corners. Set aside, keeping the bag at room temperature.

- Using the same 1¾ inch round cutter that you used for the cucumbers, cut about 4 rounds out of each slice of dill-spread-covered bread, placing them on the parchment-covered baking sheet. You might need to gently press the center of each round with your finger to release it from the cutter.

- Place one cucumber slice on each round of bread. Then use the zip-lock bag with the remaining dill spread to fill each hole in the cucumber slices. To smooth the top, use a bit of water on your fingertip.

- For the garnish, use the dill you set aside -- break off tiny sprigs and add them to the center of each canapé. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Making Them Ahead

• Up to 3 days ahead: Make the dill spread. Store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
• The night before: Prepare the cucumber slices. Store them in the refrigerator, stacked in their original shape, wrapped in plastic.
• Up to 8 hours ahead: Assemble and refrigerate. Don't place plastic wrap directly on their surface. Rather, place a second, same-sized sheet pan, upside down on top. Use masking tape along the edges to hold them together. You can also store them without being covered, but only do so if it's 2 to 4 hours ahead, so they don't pick up other flavors in the refrigerator or dry out.

Important Recipe Equipment!

• These round cutters that you can get here, are a must for this recipe, and they are one of those kitchen items I couldn't live without. You might be thinking you live just fine without round cutters. 😉 And I'm sure you do! However, if you want to make these fabulous cucumber hors d'oeuvres that everyone will fall in love with, then . . . you won't be able to live without them either.
• For the best results, you should use a food processor to make the dill cream cheese spread. If you don't have one, blend everything together at room temperature in a mixing bowl with a spoon, finely chopping the dill before you add it. If you do this, it's very important that both the butter and cream cheese are very soft!

Serving Suggestions

• I love making these when I'm bringing something to a cocktail party, and they're ideal for almost every holiday party.
• If you're having a cocktail party with a bunch of small bites, cucumber hors d'oeuvres always pair really well with Wasabi-Glazed Ahi Tuna Bites and Chicken Dumplings with Fresh Ginger.
• Make sandwiches! you can simply slice cucumbers and put them into a sandwich with this spread recipe.

Other Must-Try Cucumber Recipes

• Spicy Pickled Cucumbers
• Cucumber Salsa with Watermelon
• Chilled Cucumber Basil Soup
• Cucumber Avocado Salad
• Feta Tomato Salad

More Party Hors D'Oeuvres

You want these at your next party! Whether you're throwing a big cocktail party, or a small dinner party for four, Cucumber Dill Canapés are the perfect way to start the meal.

I hope you enjoy the Cucumber Dill Canapés -- the process of making them and eating them.

Cucumber-Dill Canapé Recipe

Valentina K. Wein

This Cucumber Dill Canapé is one of my favorite cucumber hors d'ouevres of all time! It's an incredibly flavorful, delicious bite.

5 from 3 votes

Print

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Appetizers and Hors d'Oeuvres

Cuisine American

Servings 18

Calories 105 kcal

Equipment

• round cutters

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 2 English cucumbers (Hot House) (a bit larger than 1¾-inch diameter)
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 bunch fresh dill (about 1 ounce)
• salt and cayenne pepper to taste
• 9 slices whole grain or white sandwich bread

Instructions

 

• Prepare the cucumbers. To prepare the cucumbers, slice each one into approximately 18 slices -- about ¼ to ½ inches wide -- and place them flat on a cutting surface. Use a 1¾ inch round cutter to cut the skin off each cucumber slice.

  Then use a 1 inch round cutter to cut a hole in the middle of each slice to remove the seeds and create a space for the dill mixture later.
• Wrap the prepared cucumbers in plastic wrap and refrigerate them until you are ready to assemble the canapés. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Remove 4 sprigs of dill and set them aside in the refrigerator for the garnish.
• Make dill spread. To make the dill spread, use a food processor to blend the cheese with the butter, mustard, lemon juice, and the remaining dill. Blend until the dill is very finely chopped and the mixture is very smooth. Season generously to taste with salt and cayenne pepper. Blend the mixture one last time to be sure all of the ingredients are incorporated.

Assembly

• Use a small, off-set spatula to spread a thin, even layer of the dill spread onto one surface of each slice of bread. Place the remaining dill spread in a zip-lock bag and cut a tiny bit off of one of its bottom corners. Set aside, keeping the bag at room temperature.
  
• Using the same 1¾ inch round cutter that you used for the cucumbers, cut about 4 rounds out of each slice of dill-spread-covered bread, placing them on the parchment-covered baking sheet. You might need to gently press the center of each round with your finger to release it from the cutter.
• Place one cucumber slice on each round of bread. Then use the zip-lock bag with the remaining dill spread to fill each hole in the cucumber slices. To smooth the top, use a bit of water on your fingertip. For the garnish, use the dill you set aside -- break off tiny sprigs and add them to the center of each canapé. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

NOTES

Nutritional information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as an estimate.

 

NUTRITION

Calories: 105kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 115mg | Potassium: 40mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 252IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg

Keywords party food, appetizers for parties

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